Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Another Day, Another Death

Well, today I came home from school and noticed one my birds was sick. It was fine yesterday. Within a few hours, it had died. It was one of the lovebirds. I have no idea what happened; I just hope it isn't something that will affect the other birds. My mom came down and helped me bury it in the back yard. The lovebirds are very young and I've only had them a few months, so I didn't know this one as well as some of the others; it takes a while for their personalities to really show. I just feel bad seeing a sick bird in my care and not knowing what to do to make it better or if I did something to cause it somehow.

Death is everywhere, every living thing dies; it is our destiny. Yet how little we prepare for it, how quickly we put it out of our minds, and how we even forget the dead that we had loved. And meanwhile, life continues. I had to write a graduate paper tonight, some lady came to try to sell me newspapers; two of the students in my graduate program called to ask me questions, my friend came to go to the gym with me, I am writing now, and we eat and sleep and pray. My aunt died yesterday, yet we all went to work today and I taught my students and smiled with them and got frustrated by them just like any other day. Just because death comes doesn't mean life stops.